At the Heart of the Reich

First-hand account by the army aide who was at Hitler’s side, 1938-1943. Major Gerhard Engel was Hitler’s Army Adjutant from March 1938 to March 1943 – he covers Hitler’s military decision-making at crucial points in the war.

During his years with Hitler, Engel kept the diary in the form of six notebooks. After the war, he added material to shed further light on certain events, military and political decisions and Hitler’s attitude to particular problems. His diary covers the decision-making process behind crucial military actions, including the annexation of Austria, the invasion of Czechoslovakia, and the war against Russia.

He also addresses the intrigue within Hitler’s inner circle and his casual conversations with Halder, Guderian and Brauchitsch, among others. Engel was responsible for certain racial issues and his conversations with Hitler shed important light on the Fuhrer’s core beliefs.